North Carolina Among States With Longest Unemployment Rates

Published Tuesday, June 15, 2010 @ 2:13 pm

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As has been widely reported, whether you feel the country’s moving toward a great recovery or still floundering in a great recession is still largely determined by where you live and whether you can find a job there. And along with the highest rates of unemployment in a generation, current economic conditions are also typified by astronomical levels of long-term unemployment.

According a recent article by the Economic Policy Institute (EPI), “In April, the median length of unemployment in the United States was 21.6 weeks, up from 15.1 weeks in 2009 and well over double the median unemployment spell of 8.4 weeks at the start of the recession in December 2007.” The EPI’s new “median length of unemployment” map reveals “that job searches were taking the longest in Michigan and South Carolina (19.4 weeks), followed by Florida (18.1 weeks), and Rhode Island (17.0 weeks).” North Carolina was among the worst, revealing average job searches topping out at 16.5 weeks. All this despite recent figures finding that some North Carolina cities join Texas towns as rising to the top of the heap in terms of hiring. “States where job searches were shortest include Alaska, North Dakota, and Wyoming, where the median length of unemployment was slightly less than eight weeks in 2009.”

Unfortunately, the April figures don’t take into account the fact that the typical length of unemployment nationwide has increased by five-and-a-half weeks since 2009; as a result, it’s safe to say, that the long and winding road to gainful employment in most states now takes even longer than the EPI figures suggest.

And, if that’s not bad news enough, the EPI reported that a “even in the states with the shortest median length of unemployment, the typical worker is still taking close to two months to find a job. In terms of unemployment duration at the national level, this recession is much worse than any other since at least 1967, the earliest year for which data are available.  The previous peak of 12.3 weeks reached in May 1983 is dwarfed by the April 2010 length of 21.6 weeks, the highest ever recorded. Finally, while the median duration of unemployment represents the typical job search, it also means that the wait is longer for half of all unemployed workers. This suggests that many workers will exhaust their standard 26 weeks of unemployment insurance before finding a job. The American Jobs and Closing Tax Loopholes Act currently before Congress would extend unemployment benefits through the end of 2010, benefiting about five million long-term unemployed.”

Unfortunately, Congress seems to be less empathic and more apathetic than in months past, in some cases scoffing at the notion of extending monthly benefits because of the appearance that these subsidized sums encourage people to exit the job search. As a result, many are taking things into their own hands to address their financial woes and take back their fiscal freedoms to make a fresh start through bankruptcy.

So, if you too have been affected by the economy and are wondering how to reduce debt, knowing a qualified bankruptcy attorney can also help you to conquer your creditors and face your financial fears, yielding the right kinds of support, information and insights—at a low cost— for a viable and secure future beyond our own “Great Recession.”  The bankruptcy experts at the Law Offices of John T. Orcutt offer a totally FREE debt consultation and now, more than ever, it’s time to take them up on their offer. Just call toll free to 1-800-899-1414, or during the off hours, you can make your own appointment right online at www.billsbills.com. Simply click on the yellow “FREE Consultation Now” button.

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